Thomas j



UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

THOMAS J. HARRIS, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENING- FOR GARMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,749, dated' October 3, 1854.

To all whom/@'15 may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J HARRIS, J r., of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buttons for Fastening Garments, dac.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full7 clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a front view Fig. 2 is a back view Fig. 3 is a section through the center of the button.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

My invention consists in making the eye of the button in two or more partsone part being connected by a joint capable of opening inward, and kept to it-s place by a spring as seen at b, ai, I), the other part being rmly and unyieldingly attached to the button plate. The ends of these parts of the eye which meet are so formed that the movable part shall be pressed outwardly against the stationary part, and the one shall form a continuation of the other when closed as seen in the drawings-the joint being perfect.

The ends of the parts forming the eyeV may be attached to the plate at any corresponding points between the center and outer edge of the plate, those in the drawings are shown as attached near the outer edge. The eyes also should be larger than those in ordinary use, and generally broadest at their union with the plate. The joint is represented in the drawings close to the plate, but it is obvious it may be made at any desirable point of the eye, without changing the character of the improvement.

Great inconvenience has always been eX- perienced in the use of very valuable and ornamental buttons, for the want of some convenient mode of attaching them to, and detaching them from the .garment and the size of the but-ton plate for shirt bosoms, wrist bands, vests &c., has always been necessarily quite small, because of the ungraceful appearance of large button holes in such places. Two buttons connected together by a link have been resorted to for wrist bands, and for the bosom two buttons rigidly connected called studs*and for vests, rings have been put through the eyes of the buttons on theinside of the garment the eye of the button passing through an eyelet in the same. But in all these cases the button was necessarily small-as it must pass through the button hole in buttoning, and unbuttoning, and the buttonhole if large would appear inadmissibly awkward. In all modes of attaching and detaching buttons heretofore known the idea of so construct-ing the eye as to effect the object without some auxiliary instrument seems not to have occurred.

It is easy to be seen that my improved button can be so constructed and used as to obviate all or any of these inconveniences while it is made as large and ornamental as may be desired. If it be desired to use the button in the usual way, it may be attached to t-he edge of the garment opposite the button hole, by pressing down the jointed part and passing the eye of the button through the stationary part of an eyelet hole-or, if desired at adistance from the edge-as in a double breasted vest the eye of the button can in like manner be passed through two eyelet holes prepared for the purpose. lhen thus fastened to the garment it may be used precisely like any other buttonand detached with perfect ease to be applied to another garment in the same way.

If it be desired entirely to conceal the button hole, it may be made only long enough to allow the eye o f the button to pass through it without opening and the eye may be irst passed through the button hole and afterwards attached to the opposite side of the garment by opening the eye and passing it through eyelet holes or loops.

Or if desired the two edges of the garment may be 4fastened together by opening the eye of the butt-on and pasing it through an eyelet hole on each edge, or through button holes-and if the two edges lap over each other, two eyelet holes in each will enable the eye of the but-ton properly to fasten them together.

Then the button is used in either of the modes set forth in the last two paragraphs, it may be made as large and ornamental as may be desired without requiring any objectionable size of buttonhole--indeed e11- tirely concealing the button holes or eyelet holes. It will also be perceived that in every mode in which my improved button may be used, it will be as safe from loss as if sewed on, and will be perfectly eiiicientf-and that it will supply, in an improved and superior manner, when single, the place of the double vsleeve buttons, and the double buttoned shirt stud, &e. It also orms an improved fastening for dresses, belts, necklaces,.brace-` lets- &e., &e., indeed is almost universallyl useful in fastening apparel, and capable of any degree of ornament that may be desired, and will supply the place of every otherl article used for fastening apparel in a supe= rior and highly ornamental manner, byl simple preparing the garment for it-s application, Which is always very simple and easy.

It will readily be perceived that the movable and iXedparts of the eye of my button may be heldtogetherbyother means than by a spring-by a sorevv collar Jfor instance or a slide-butthis Wouldnotvary'the principle. I `prefer hovveverthe spring as hereinbei'ore suggested.

fHavng thus ullydeseribed the nature of my invention, and shown the manner in which itis earied out, and applied to vari- -You-s uses, I claim- .the manner, and for the purpose, herein set forth. i

. THOS. J. HARRIS, JR. Vitnessesf: t v

S. 2H. WALEs, (D. D. -MUNN. 

